Hermione's Hogwarts Holiday
by aaliona
Summary: Hermione knew she would be the only one of her friends to return to Hogwarts after the war, but they don't understand why she won't come to the Burrow for Christmas.


**This was done for The Harry and Hermione Christmas Challenge in about half an hour. I hope you enjoy it.**

Hermione sighed as she looked out the window at the snowless ground. In all her years at Hogwarts, she'd never known the sky to have not dropped a nice-sized blanket of powder by Christmas, yet there they were. It was December 23, and Scotland was having a freak winter of warmth. Hermione let out another bitter breath. It seemed like Hogwarts hadn't quite overcome its funk either.

She turned away and treaded lightly over the carpet in the room she shared with Ginny and her friends. It seemed unfair to Hermione. When she was the only Gryffindor girl to return to Hogwarts to redo her seventh year after the war, it was decided that she could room with the girls going into their seventh year since one of the five had been killed during the war. Every time she lay down in her bed, she thought of the other girl, the one who should have been there. It ruined her nights and made her feel two feet tall knowing she was literally at the same level at these younger girls. Besides, as much as Harry wanted them to, Hermione and Ginny had grown no closer than they had been before the war.

As she crossed out onto the stairs, Hermione scanned the common room below. No one was inside except for three second year students playing wizard chess. She smiled as she sat down, remembering her own days sitting around watching Harry lose to Ron. Shaking the memories away, she cracked open the book on her lap and read for almost an hour. The second years were long gone when a crackling noise caused her to surface.

"Harry?" she asked in surprise as he stepped though the fire. "What are you doing here? I thought the common room fires had been closed to apparation."

He shrugged. "They only let you through if you know the password." Harry stepped forward to hug Hermione. "How are you, Hermione?"

"Can't complain," she replied and sat back down. "You?"

"It's Christmas at the Burrow," he said.

Hermione frowned and looked over at the fire. "You're here to make me come, aren't you?"

Harry sighed. "None of us understand why you won't come. Ron is taking it as a personal offence. He's been thinking about it nonstop since Ginny came home from break without you. No matter how many times Ginny or I talk to him, he's still convinced he did something wrong."

She put a hand to her head and groaned. "I was afraid he'd get self-loathing over this."

"Then why didn't you come?"

"I couldn't."

Harry blinked in surprise. Whatever response he had thought he would get, this obviously wasn't it. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Hermione looked down at her feet in contemplation for a moment before looking back up and replying, "I could have done what you and Ron did. Really, I had just as many job opportunities, but I didn't go with them. After the time I invested into my studies, I just couldn't do it. In my head, all the war work we did meant nothing if I wasn't properly qualified to take a job."

"You could have just taken your NEWTs this fall."

"I could have," she agreed, "but that didn't seem right either. Something in me needed another year at Hogwarts; another year of normality, if you will."

Harry nodded in understanding. "I get the same feeling sometimes. It feels like we've grown up to fast."

"Us more than most people," she commented.

"I still don't see why you won't come home for Christmas."

"It's more mental than anything else," Hermione replied. "All of these younger kids have been starting to suffocate me. I needed thinking room, almost entirely by myself."

"So you stayed here," Harry concluded.

"That's right. This last week has given me time to think, time to figure out exactly what I want out of life and what I can handle."

"Have you decided?"

She nodded. "I'm going to be a Healer."

Harry grinned. "I figured you'd do something of the like."

Hermione shrugged. "I just can't do what you do. Fighting crime and working at the Ministry sounds like a great endeavor, but I don't want to do anything like that anymore. There are just too many memories and too much excitement for a lifetime."

"But you still wanted to make a difference."

"Exactly," she replied. "That's why I want to be a Healer."

Harry nodded again and looked down at the fire. His silence was unnerving.

"What's wrong?"

He glanced up at her. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You aren't looking at me, and you aren't telling me something."

In response, Harry sucked in a breath and released it. "It's just…"

"Well?" she prompted when he didn't continue.

"You're sorted out what you want to, but you're still going to spend Christmas alone?"

Hermione's shoulders slumped, and she smiled despite herself. "All right, all right. Let's go talk to McGonagall. I'm sure she won't mind if I leave now."


End file.
